The Government of India on 7 January 2014 launched the nation's first comprehensive adolescent health programme named Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) in New Delhi. The RKSK defines an adolescent as a person within 10-19 years of age, in urban and rural areas, includes both girls and boys, married and unmarried, poor and affluent, whether they are in school or out of school. This broad definition helps to address the multitude problems of adolescents across various groups and categories. The programme is committed at promotion of adolescent health mission across India and would address to the health needs of 243 million adolescents constituting 21 percent of the total population in the country.
The vision of the programme is that all adolescents in India are able to realize their full potential by making informed and responsible decisions related to their health and well-being.
RKSK has six priority (programme) areas as below:
Target Group:
The new adolescent health (AH) strategy focuses on age groups 10-14 years and 15-19 years with universal coverage, i.e. males and females; urban and rural; in school and out of school; married and unmarried; and vulnerable and under-served.
Objectives of the programme:
i. Improve Nutrition
- Reduce the prevalence of malnutrition among adolescent girls and boys (including overweight/obesity)
- Reduce the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) among adolescent girls and boys
ii. Enable sexual and reproductive health
- Improve knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, in relation to SRH
- Reduce teenage pregnancies
- Improve birth preparedness, complication readiness and provide early parenting support for adolescent parents
iii. Enhance Mental Health
- Address mental health concerns of adolescents
iv. Prevent injuries and violence
- Promote favourable attitudes for preventing injuries and violence (including GBV) among adolescents
v. Prevent substance misuse
- Increase adolescents' awareness of the adverse effects and consequences of substance misuse
vi. Address conditions for NCDs
- Promote behaviour change in adolescents to prevent NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and strokes
Strategies:
A. Community based interventions
- Peer Education (PE)
- Quarterly Adolescent Health Day (AHD)
- Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation Programme (WIFS)
- Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS)
B. Facility based interventions
- Strengthening of Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHC)
- within Health & Family Welfare - FP, MH (incl VHND), RBSK, National Tobacco Control Programme,National Mental Health Programme, NCDs and IEC
- with other departments/schemes – Social Welfare (ICDS,SABLA), Youth Affairs and Sports etc.
- (Adolescent Empowerment Scheme, National Service Scheme, NYKS, etc)
D. Social and Behaviour Change Communication with focus on Inter Personal Communication
RKSK Status in Assam till March'2020
- All components of RKSK programme is being implemented in 7 Districts including 6 High Priority Districts (HPDs) namely Dhubri, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Nagaon and District Goalpara included in the year 2018-19 in the state.
- Under these 7 RKSK Districts total 21 nos of blocks are covered under RKSK Programme namely Raniganj, Golakganj, Halakura, Bokakhat, Saringia, Sarupathar, Algapur, Lala, Kachuadam, R. K. Nagar, Kachugaon, Gossaigaon, Jkhalabandha, Buragohainthan, Dhing, Kathiatoli, Jugijan, Singimari, Lakhipur, Matia, Rangjuli.
- Other adolescent Health components like Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (Low cost sanitary napkins @Rs.6/- per pack to adolescent girls by ASHAs), Weekly Iron & Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme and counselling centres (Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics) are implementing in all 27 districts.
- Total 59 Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs) are established in the state at DH, SDH and CHC level (41 in HPDs and 18 in Non HPDs). Total 36 Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHC)s are functional with dedicated counselors.
- Total 13432 Peer Educators have been selected in 7 RKSK Districts. (2 boys and 2 girls from each village/1000 population have been selected as Peer Educator (PE) under each ASHA). (Detail in RKSK implementation guidelines)
- Each Peer Educator is expected to form a group of 15-20 boys and girls (separate group of boys and girls) respectively from their community and conduct a two hour sessions per week–using PE kits
- PEs are being provided non-monetary incentive for their contribution.
- Adolescent Health Clubs are being formed at the SC level in 7 RKSK Districts.
- Menstrual Hygiene Programme is going on in 27 districts.
- WIFS programme is going on in 27 districts.
- School Health Programme (SHP) under Ayushman Bharat was launched on 12 February, 2020. It's a joint initiative of Ministries of H & F W and Ministry of Education.
- In Assam SHP will be implemented in 7 aspirational Districts namely Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Hilakandi and Udalguri.
- Expected coverage 2726 Schools (Elementary and HS) and 686796 students.
- State resource group was formed with 55 Resource Person ( School Teacher, Medical Officers and Lecture od DIET) and trained them virtually.
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